[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 98 (Thursday, July 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO LI-PEI WU

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 14, 2004

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Wu and I rise today to ask 
our colleagues to join in saluting Mr. Li-Pei Wu, Chairman Emeritus and 
Director of GBC Bancorp, and the new Presidential Policy Advisor to 
Taiwan's President Chen Shu-Bian. He is a remarkable man with a myriad 
of accomplishments.
  Mr. Wu has enjoyed a distinguished and successful career as a banking 
executive. He served as CFO of the National Bank of Alaska and 
President of Alaska National Bank of the North. In 1982, Mr. Wu took 
the helm of General Bank in Los Angeles. Under his able leadership, 
both General Bank and its holding company, GBC Bancorp, developed into 
industry leaders.
  Mr. Wu was born in Changhwa, Taiwan, one of the poorest communities 
in Taiwan. Despite facing political oppression, he earned a B.A. in 
Economics from National Taiwan University and taught at the Kwanglon 
Business School. After his brother was sent to prison by members of the 
Nationalist Party, Wu left Taiwan to earn his MBA at Fort Hays State 
University. He struggled with the English language, but his 
determination and business acumen soon landed him important positions 
in Alaska's largest financial institution, the National Bank of Alaska.
  Li-Pei Wu's accomplishments go far beyond the business world. For 
more than 35 years he has dedicated his time and energy to advocate for 
democracy and human rights in Taiwan. He is the founder and chairman of 
the Formosa Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan public interest 
group that seeks to foster an environment of peace and stability across 
the Taiwan Strait, while also promoting understanding and friendship 
between Taiwan and the United States. He was the founding president of 
the Taiwanese American Citizen League, which has grown from one to 
twelve chapters nationwide. He has worked tirelessly to help Taiwanese-
Americans achieve success and leadership opportunities in American 
politics, culture, and society. In addition, he serves as an honorary 
member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and as a Board of 
Advisors member for the Asia Society of Los Angeles.
  Mr. Wu's commitment to human rights, peace, and economic success has 
been widely recognized. He is the proud recipient of the 1998 Ernst & 
Young Greater Los Angeles Entrepreneur of the Year Award and has been 
asked to teach at the University of Cambridge as a Distinguished Guest 
Lecturer in the school's Department of Oriental Studies. He has served 
as a delegate to Taiwan's National Affairs Summit at the direct 
invitation of Taiwan's President Lee Tung-hui. In 1990, he was the 
recipient of the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award bestowed on him by the 
National Association of Investment Companies.
  Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in honoring and 
thanking Mr. Li-Pei Wu for his outstanding contributions to our 
community and for his steadfast commitment to human rights and strong 
relations between the United States and Taiwan.

                          ____________________